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SYFRS Head of Community Safety, Kevin Ronan, said: “We’ve been campaigning on this issue for some time now, so it’s great to see local authorities across South Yorkshire taking a proactive approach to tackling this issue.

“We were impressed by the targeted approach of the campaign, and expect this work to have a lasting effect in terms of protecting people for the damage caused by fake goods.”

Real dangers in using fake goods Six areas in each of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will be targeted over two years. The areas have been chosen based on fire service statistics which show they are at higher risk of fires.

Fake goods which commonly cause the fire service concern include hair straighteners, phone and e-cig chargers and counterfeit and foreign cigarettes.

Deputy Mayor of Doncaster Glyn Jones added: “It is very easy not to realise the damage fake goods can cause. I hope this campaign helps people to understand the very real dangers involved in using fake goods. Fakes cause fires and sadly those fires can cost lives. We want to help people realise and understand the risks. These products may be cheaper but they don’t have the same safety features as the real thing.”

The ‘Fakes Cause Fires’ campaign won £43,000 under South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority’s funding scheme, the Stronger Safer Communities Reserve. The fund saw dozens of registered charities, community organisations and partner agencies come forward and apply for grants from the £2 million fund, which had been set aside from the Authority’s reserves.